Take two
by Pampermousse
Summary: Lamb doesn't die and he and Veronica cross paths a couple of years in the future working on the same case


Lamb stretches his arms above his head, wincing as he hears his shoulders crack. He tries a few stretches but gives up when he catches his reflection in the door. Vinnie is late, which is typical but doesn't ever stop being annoying. He looks at the check again, fingering it slowly between his fingers. Ten thousand dollars, as a retainer. And he must be more fucked up than he already thinks he is if he is having to ponder this decision.

Vinnie walks in, slamming the door behind him and holding a bottle of fizzy wine aloft.

"Afternoon partner."

"Please stop reminding me."

"Trying to contain your emotion. I respect that. Today my friend is the two year anniversary of us setting up shop together." Vinnie looks at him, eyes wide in mock eagerness.

"So, the two year anniversary of me hitting rock bottom. You could have at least got some scotch."

"You and your woes."

Lamb opens the bottom drawer and pulls some plastic glasses out. Vinnie spots the check at the same time and snatches it off the desk before Lamb can get to it.

"Daddy Kane is serious I see."

Lamb only raises his eyebrows and busies himself by opening the wine. A drink, any drink, sounds good right now.

"Tell me again why we're still considering this?" Vinnie asks.

Because any name ending in the word Kane was something that he had decided to avoid for…a very long time. Because he fucked up Lily's case, took Duncan Kane in his fucking trunk across Mexico, doesn't trust Jake Kane as far as he can throw him and just wants some goddamnned peace.

"Something doesn't feel right," is all he says and Vinnie looks at him intently.

"Is that that famous police instinct that I have heard about kicking in Don? Because I gotta tell you, that never worked so well for you. "

"Let's sleep on it." Lamb says with what he hopes is an air of finality.

"We've been sleeping on it for two days now. We're taking it."

"Fine, but if we find out he's bullshitting us in any way we're dropping it."

"Whatever you say partner," Vinnie says, taking a gulp of the wine. "Oh hey, you will never guess who I saw today, walking the sidewalks looking for trouble."

"Your ex?"

Vinnie clutches his chest in mock offense. "No. Veronica Mars."

It turns out that being hit in the head by a baseball bat fucking hurts. He had felt that dull ache for weeks after he woke up at the hospital. Keith had been there, looking sympathetic, concerned, and also looking like the fucking Sheriff. He remembers trying to get out of bed and being unable to even lift his back up. It seemed that he was never going to put on a uniform again. Batando had made sure of that. He had felt anger at first, which was quickly followed by relief. He had never felt up to upholding the law, and now he had an honourable out. He had spent the first year applying himself to his recovery the way he had never applied himself to anything before. And when he was finally given an 80% clean bill of health, he spent the next six months getting drunk. Vinnie Van Lowe found him one night, slumped over a bar and took him to his office.

"The way I figure it Sheriff you can either drink yourself back into a coma or do something productive with your life."

Lamb had thought he was still half-drunk the next morning, listening to the little speech of Vinnie's.

"I could do with some help around here, someone who knows what they're doing. But in the meantime, you'll do." Vinnie had laughed heartily at his own joke, as he was want to do, in that creepy, slightly menacing way.

"Come on Sheriff, you were always too crooked to be a policeman. You're a natural private dick."

And he must have really needed something to do with his days to agree without much of a fight.

So in this fucked up show that was his life, he was now shooting adulterers with his camera, bringing back bail jumpers and forced to have to eat up all the crap he had generally spat Mars's way once upon a time.

"Ready for a trip Sheriff?"

"Depends where on with whom."

"Just down old memory lane. And by your lonesome. Should suit your wounded hero self just fine."

"I'm as much of a hero as you are _partner_." He says the last bit with a ghost of a snarl.

"Let's start building a file on Duncan Kane. Anything you remember from when you helped him flee the country?"

Lamb clenches his jaw, swallowing the retort back down again. "Hey, maybe you can even talk to his accomplice now that she's back in town." Vinnie shouts as he leaves the office.

Lamb waits until he hears the car start and then takes out the brown file from his locked bottom drawer. He has had a file on Duncan since Mexico, was nothing much in it for a long time but still. After Jake Kane had come to him, wanting them to find Duncan it had started to get thicker. The way Jake Kane tells it is that Duncan had been in Australia until six months ago when he had suddenly disappeared. Daddy Kane had been channelling money into an offshore bank account every month for the last six years which Duncan had dutifully picked up. This stopped six months ago and now Jake wanted him found.

And if there was one person he would bet what was left of his shitty life on, on knowing where Duncan was, it was Veronica Mars. Who was so conveniently back in town.

He hasn't seen her since he was hit in the head. She had kept away he guessed, her father having lost to Vinnie before Vinnie was himself ousted from office for corruption. As far as he knows Keith is with some woman in Santa Monica, doing business there. Veronica, he has no idea what Veronica is doing. The last thing he heard about her was the internship at the FBI. He wonders where she is staying, and whether he should go and happen on by, but he wants to do some research on Jake Kane first.

When the door opens, he thinks it is Vinnie, having forgotten something, and he looks up with a scowl before remembering the open file on Duncan that is on his desk. Instead he sees Veronica Mars standing at the entrance, eyebrow raised and trace of a smirk on her face. He quickly pulls the file together and stuffs it back into the drawer, an imitation of what he has seen her do a thousand times before.

"Deputy. Fancy seeing you on the wrong side of town."

"Veronica. It hasn't been long enough."

"Feeling's mutual."

"Need help tracking down an errant lover?" he asks, leaning back in his chair, feeling almost like he once had.

"From you? Never."

"Yet here you are," he says watching her as she moves towards him. The hair is still long, how he remembers it at college but straighter. Her jeans and sweater sit comfortably on her still slender frame and her dirty white sneakers peek out from below.

"So last I heard you were on the way to some kind of breakdown," she says, sitting in the chair opposite him.

"You've been keeping tabs? I'm flattered."

"More like hearing second-hand information from Dad via Vinnie."

Vinnie was in contact with Keith Mars. This was news to Lamb.

"So Veronica. What can I do for you?"

"Straight down to business. Ilike it. I'm wondering why Jake Kane is looking for Duncan."

"Let me guess, you've bugged the office."

She smiles at this, "no, I just have my sources."

"Wouldn't happen to be Duncan would it?" Lamb asks knowing that of course it fucking was. Another reason to stay away from this case, Veronica Mars was slap bang in the middle of it.

"He's just a poor concerned father as far as I can gather." Lamb says.

"You haven't become helpful by any chance in the last two years?" She asks stepping around his desk to perch on it next to him.

He shuts the drawer whilst she is looking down and moves towards the door in a move to get her the hell out. "Could ask you the same Mars."

She is still perched on his desk with her back to him and he tries to pretend he's not nervous about what she's doing. He should have locked the damn drawer.

"You know you can't trust Jake Kane right?" she says, finally leaving the desk and walking towards the door.

"Gee, thanks Mars. Are you going to tell me next you have no idea where Duncan is?"

"I wouldn't want to insult your intelligence, but oh wait, it_ is_ you."

He rolls his eyes. "So not back in town for your high school reunion then?"

She doesn't bother replying and walks out.

Vinnie returns when Lamb is getting ready to leave, flinging some pictures at him of an amorous couple.

"Should cover half the rent at least."Vinnie says, turning the lights back on. "So, what have you been up to all day? Any more news on Duncan?"

"I'm looking at Jake, seeing whether he is playing us. Then I'll get to Duncan."

"Jesus. You know who you sound like with your Jake Kane trust issues? Keith Mars."

"Oh, your buddy? I hear you've been keeping in touch."

"I just pop in and say hi whenever I'm in Santa Monica. Didn't think you'd be interested."

"I'm not." Lamb gets up to leave, still debating just how much to share, but figures it could be useful for Vinnie to know. "Veronica dropped in earlier. Asking questions about the case. Another reason to drop it."

"Ah Veronica. And how is she?"

"The same."

"You know she got kicked out of the FBI training programme?" That stops Lamb and he turns and they share a rare smile. "Yeah, well, can't say I'm surprised. That girl and procedure." Lamb says picking up his jacket.

"She know where Duncan is?" Vinnie shouts to him as he's out.

"What do you think?" Lamb replies and heads to the car.

He decides to visit Jake Kane the next day. Look the motherfucker in the eye and see just how much he was bullshitting them. When he gets there he notices the car Veronica used to drive parked outside.

He rings the doorbell and that butler or whatever he is answers, and leads him through the house. It's the new one, and it's his first time. He makes sure to take everything in and almost starts when he sees Lily Kane's facing smiling down on him, from a garish portrait. They stop outside the door to the study and Clarence, Lamb remembers his name, tells him that Jake will be out in a second, that he has a visitor.

"I know. I saw her car parked outside. So, it's just a friendly catch-up? Minus the friendly part."

"They have some issues to discuss." Clarence says and Lamb feels his blood pressure rising. He's being played and he fucking hates it, no matter how much money it's worth.

It's ten minutes later before the door opens and Veronica walks out, looking pissed. Her eyes widen slightly when she sees him but then turn hard, and she storms past him.

He walks in and sees Kane at the desk, going through some papers.

"Lamb. I'm glad you've agreed to take the case."

"Yeah well." Is all he says as he sits down in the leather armchair. "I wasn't so keen. Vinnie thinks I have some trust issues with you. In that I don't trust you."

"Is this still about my daughter's case?"

"That and other stuff. Not to mention why Veronica Mars just walked out of here."

"Seems like I'm not the only one looking for my son. I would appreciate it if you could do whatever it takes to keep her nose out of this."

"It hasn't crossed your mind that she's the one person who probably knows where Duncan is?"

"Of course it has. But she seemed pretty insistent she didn't."

Lamb suppressed a snort of derision. Like that meant anything.

"Tell me again what happened six months ago."

He is having a beer at a new bar a twenty minute drive outside of Neptune. It overlooks the ocean but isn't fancy. More folksy. He is in one of the booths, looking through the notes from his meeting with Kane. The whole thing stank to high heavens and he just wants shot of it. He isn't even surprised when Veronica sits down opposite him. He catches her looking at the papers but he just stuffs them slowly back into the folder.

"Veronica. Can't a man have some peace and quiet?"

"I'm sure some men can."

"What do you want?"

"I want to know your innermost thoughts on Jake Kane."

"Why the sudden interest in my thoughts?"

"Well, I admit it's a first, but I think that we may be thinking along similar lines, which is also a first by the way."

"Why would I share anything with you Mars?"

"Because you think Kane is playing you? You think I know where Duncan is. You want to see justice being done? Ok, I admit that last one I just threw in there for a poetic finish."

"Look, Daddy Kane has hired us to find Duncan. He is paying a lot of money for this. I will try and find his son for him, but you know, I'm not going to bust a gut because at the end of the day, I just don't give that much of a shit."

"And yet you have a file with actual papers and stuff in it."

"I don't have the emotional investment in this case like you do Mars. You're projecting." That shuts her up, but only momentarily.

"Hm. Psycho-babble from you Lamb? I'm intrigued. So why_ did_ you take the case?"

"Why _did_ I take a case from a billionaire?" Lamb pretends to ponder.

He sees Veronica change tack and sit back in the booth. "So, how are you finding it, being a private dick?" she emphasises the last word and Lamb almost smiles.

"Sleazy, boring, sadly lacking in power."

"So, it fits you down to a tee then?" she replies but her smirk is just the right side of a smile.

"I heard the FBI was not as tolerant of your ways as I was." He was going to continue but her eyes looked hunted, and he just doesn't have the same appetite for a broken Veronica Mars that he once had.

"Arresting me at every opportunity was tolerance from you?"

"The thing is Veronica, I didn't lock you up for half the things I should have, and that may be because you got away, but it still doesn't make it right. Unintended consequences are a bitch. Trust me."

Veronica was frowning at him which was not an expression he had seen directed at him very often. Her eyebrows were usually pointing the other way.

"Look. I knew where Duncan was until 3 months ago. Now he's disappeared on me too. I want to find him before Jake Kane does."

Lamb manages to maintain his composure at being let into her confidence. "Why?"

"Because I think he is the reason he disappeared."

The thing about Veronica Mars was that she always made him hyper-aware of his own inadequacy. Even when she was 16 she made him feel slow and now he was sure it would be ten times worse. Or possibly better. Whereas his old self had really hated the fucking annoyance of having to do some serious thinking about what he had thought was a straightforward case, his new self felt kind of energised by it. He was sick of taking crappy pictures of cheating couples or finding some idiot criminal that couldn't even evade him for Chrissakes. He didn't know how Mars had done it for so long. They had agreed to meet later in the evening at the apartment she was renting and work out theories. It was not like Lamb didn't know Veronica was playing him, because he did. He just felt, for the first time he might be able to stay in the game.

But before that he had to meet with Vinnie.

Vinnie was waiting for him in a diner about ten minutes out of town. A horrible place that only low-lifes and criminals frequented and although he may fit into one of those categories, he still didn't feel right sitting being there. Not like Vinnie.

"Donald. Nice of you to show."

"I met with Veronica earlier. Well, she showed up and demanded my attention, I had forgotten how annoying she was."

Well, that was a lie, like he could ever forget that. More like he forgot what a fucking loser he always felt like around her.

"And did she show you the way to Duncan?"

"The way she tells it, she has no idea and is concerned for his safety."

"Was she lying?"

"What do you think?"

"I don't know which is why I'm asking you."

"Isn't it a fair bet to assume she is?"

"Not always Donald, not always. Most of the time she is actually telling the truth. That's your problem partner, always so quick to judge. Especially people whose name ends in Mars."

"Didn't realise you were such a fan."

"Just objective. Unlike you."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Just that I know it would disrupt the order of your universe if Veronica Mars was shown to be more often truthful than deceitful. You might have to re-evaluate everything you ever thought was a lie."

Lamb just stares at him.

"Back to Jake Kane. What do we do?" Vinnie asks, taking a final gulp of his beer.

"I think Veronica is our best bet. I'm meeting her later, she wants to 'share information.'

"Well, considering we have none, share away."

"Exactly. What's in it for her? We need her more than she needs us."

"Guess you'll find out tonight. Don't say anything I wouldn't say." And Vinnie looks at down at his paper, the conversation over. Lamb keeps sitting for a while though, not wanting to be dismissed by Vinnie, acutely aware of the power imbalances of their current arrangement.

Lamb has a monthly physio appointment which is the closest thing to emotional therapy he does. The nurse that treats him is kind. She only knows him from after the accident and he feels himself becoming a different person around her. He's thought of asking her out but she seems the ethical type. He hasn't really dated since the accident and even before. He's had a few random hook-ups but nothing that moves beyond a third date. He had always fancied himself as a white picket fence guy when he was Sheriff, could imagine a wife, couple of kids and him bringing home the bacon. He was no longer that guy though, he was someone else, someone who worked for Vinnie, whose reflexes, which had never been good were pretty much shot to pieces now, and who was filled with regrets for things he had never even given a second thought to before.

Veronica lets him in without a greeting and walks over to the kitchen table. There are papers everywhere. When he gets closer he can see the FBI logo on them, and the heading Jake Kane.

"Do I even want to know how you got these?"

"I don't know, do you?"

He picks up one of the paper and sees a list of charges bullet pointed for financial irregularity.

Veronica looks up briefly at him but looks down at the papers when he meets her eyes.

"My source at the FBI says it's a pretty big deal. He's looking at some serious jail time."

"Unless?"

"Unless he can give them something else, or someone else as the case may be."

Lamb gives a low whistle. "Duncan?"

Veronica nods, her face in a furious frown and he can see her eyes glistening.

"And I thought my dad was bad." He said. He's curious as to why Veronica has tears in her eyes. He wonders whether they are at the stage of their evolving relationship where he can ask her.

"Disappointed in Daddy Kane or angry on Duncan's behalf?"

"Sad on Duncan's behalf."

"It doesn't make much sense. Jake Kane is the bigger fish."

"Jake Kane has friends in high places. You know how this works Lamb."

Lamb is oddly pleased that she assumes that much. To be honest, he still can't believe Jake would hand over his son without some kind of plan.

"You don't think he's worked something out to keep Duncan's sentence to a minimum? Who would look after baby Kane?"

Veronica takes a deep breath and walks the short distance to the sink so she is directly opposite him.

"I had a friend tail Clarence and he saw him talking to Meg's parents."

Lamb feels his insides clench.

Her eyes are flashing, "I won't let them have her. You remember what they did. It was that one time you acted like a human being." But Lamb thinks it doesn't come out quite as venemous as she had meant it.

Lamb does remember. He remembers parking outside that house and waiting. And not doing a damn thing else. He had wanted to think that that was somehow enough, but he was bullshitting himself as usual. The thought of finally sticking it to Meg's father was reason enough for him to buy into whatever illegal activity Veronica was planning. Part of his never-ending redemption journey.

"What do you have in mind?"

She calls him the next day and tells him to meet her at that diner by the sea. She is already waiting at a booth when he enters, wearing jeans and a white floaty top. She looks beautiful and Lamb reminds himself that she is the perpetual pain in his ass.

"You're late."

"Aren't you just delightful."

"You were right…" she pauses and they both resist the urge to say anything. "Jake has cut a deal with the Feds. No jailtime for him or Duncan but they will have to pay a fine and Duncan will have a criminal record.

"Not much of a deal for the FBI."

"Yeah, well. Jake Kane has friends in high places that make sure he suffers just the right amount, which is not enough. Plus I think they just want to close some old unopened cases."

"But I'm guessing Duncan doesn't want a criminal record and doesn't want to come home."

"Right. Meg's parents will take it to court. He won't risk that."

"You've spoken to him I take it?"

"Not yet. I want to have a plan first."

Lamb is impressed and annoyed at the same time.

"So you didn't burn all bridges with the FBI then?"

"I didn't burn any. I just realised the way they do things and they way I do things are incompatible."

"So you didn't get thrown out?"

"It was mutual," but she says it with a small smile.

"I think we need to expose Meg's parents. Or at least let the authorities know what they are up to. Then Duncan and Jake can pay their fines and Lily can stay with Duncan."

"You're happy for Duncan to have a criminal record?" he's curious.

"Well, he did break the law and you know what a law-abiding citizen I am."

He rolls his eyes, "So what's your plan?"

" We speak to Lizzie Manning. Meg's second youngest sister."

"Where is she?"

"Right here, at Neptune High. She's 16 now."

"We can take my car." He says and gets up to leave before she can say no.

They wait outside the school and Lamb is hit with a wave of nostalgia he doesn't see coming. He never needs to come round this part of town, so hasn't been near the school since before the accident. He can see that Veronica is also lost in the past by the look on her face.

Veronica has a photo of Lizzie in her hand and Lamb spots her coming out of one of the buildings and motions to Veronica.

"I'll wait in my car." he says and leaves Veronica to it.

He watches from the window as Veronica approaches her and makes her sales pitch before Lizzie hesitates and walks away. Veronica looks over to him in exasperation and disappointment. Before thinking through what he is doing he opens the door and jogs to catch up with Lizzie who has left the school grounds.

"Lizzie."

She looks up to him with haunted eyes.

"My name is Don Lamb. I used to be the Sheriff around here some time ago. I knew your sister Meg."

"What do you want? The same as her?" she asks pointing towards Veronica who was watching them at a distance.

"I want you to say what you want to say. What you keep deep inside you because you don't want anyone else knowing. What you know is wrong but are too ashamed to speak about.

"Did you hear that in some made-for-TV special?" she asks but her heart is not in it, and he can see the scared little girl inside her.

"I know what its like to be afraid to say something. To have the person you hate the most be the same one you love the most."

She is looking at him now and really listening. He feels rather than hears Veronica nearby but is focused on Lizzie and doesn't stop.

"I told my teacher about my father when I was at school. It didn't work out so well for me, she didn't know what to do and spoke to my father and not the proper authorities. That didn't go down too well and he took it out on me for years after that until I was strong enough to fight back. I don't want to lie to you Lizzie, things always have unintended consequences, but I can promise you that we will not do anything you don't want us to do and will always respect your wishes."

"My dad never hit me or Grace."

"I believe you. But there are different types of abuse. Emotional is just as bad."

"It doesn't happen anymore."

"Maybe not in the same way." He can see this registers with her.

"I don't want my dad to go to jail."

"He won't, but he also shouldn't be allowed to raise another child again."

She turns to look at Veronica who is staring at Lamb and points to her, "She told me that Dad might get Meg's baby because Duncan just taking her committed a crime. Is that right?"

"It's a possibility."

"What if I threaten to tell someone about what he did unless he promises to leave the baby alone?"

"That might work. I can be present if you like." He says carefully but Lizzie shakes her head.

"I need time to think. "

"Here's my number. Call me anytime."

Veronica is silent when he drives her home and he finds it more annoying than her usual sarcasm.

"Cat got your tongue Mars?"

"I didn't know that about your dad."

"How do you know I didn't just make that up to get to Lizzie? Sounds like the kind of thing I would do."

"It does doesn't it?" she says with a smile, but he can tell she's not buying it.

"You're not going soft on me Mars?"

"Please," she scoffs but he can tell that she kind of is.

When they get to the apartment she is renting she asks if he wants to come in and and try and figure out a way to fuck over the FBI, Jake Kane and Mr Manning all in one go. She says it exactly like that and Don Lamb grins wide and pretends he doesn't feel anything when she smiles back at him.

Two hours and three beers later Lamb is feeling beat. Veronica also looks exhausted but is doing a better job of hiding it. She brushes past Lamb on the sofa on her way to the kitchen and something stirs within him. He watches her open the fridge and pull out a mineral water, taking long gulps. She glances over at him and sees him watching. He doesn't know what expression he is wearing. She touches her hair and turns away from him, putting both hands on either side of the sink. She lifts her shoulders and stretches them. Before Lamb even knows what he is doing he finds himself behind her and starts to slowly massage her neck. She freezes for a moment and then lets him continue.

"Taking evening classes?" she asks, her voice even.

"I picked this up from some physio I had. You looked like you needed it."

"Acting like a human being again. Careful Lamb, I might have to revise my opinion of you."

"What? From fucking asshole to just plain old asshole?"

She stifles a laugh but removes his hands from her shoulders, turning round to face him.

"Wow, Batando really hit you good didn't he?"

"You think Mars?" he says, taking a strand of her blonde hair and clearing it from her face.

He leans down and kisses her, expecting a knee to the groin but instead gets arms wrapped around his neck and he grabs her ass, lifting her onto the sink as she wraps her legs around him. They stay this way for a while before he decides he wants her lying down, but he is scared to break contact in case she comes to her senses. He decides to be brave and speak.

"Sofa Mars? It's been a while since I've been this acrobatic."

"Sure old man," but Lamb swears it comes out a little breathless.

She leads him to the sofa and pushes him down, of course. She then spreads herself out on top of him and whispers, "sometimes I just want to forget everything, forget who I am."

He wants to tell her he is intimately acquainted with that feeling, that on a good day he has to struggle to remember the person he was. Instead he kisses her and slides his hands up her shirt. He is amazed at how much she seems to want this. He doesn't confuse it with wanting him. He also thinks that her life must be in a pretty shit place to be doing this with him, but he's not going to complain. Her hands are on his flies and he starts to kiss her more violently when her phone rings. She ignores it and it rings off. She smiles against his mouth and they open their eyes to look at each other. Lamb tries to stamp down any hint of tenderness when the phone rings again. She is still looking at him when he answers it and he sees her eyes widen in shock.

She listens for a minute and then hangs up.

"It's Duncan. He's here."

He is impressed with how quickly she jumps off him and turns business-like, patting down her hair and arranging the papers on the coffee table. It takes him a little longer to get up and get his mind off the fact that he just had Veronica Mars sliding around on top of him.

"When you say here?" he asks doing up his flies.

"I mean here, in the parking lot." she says, staccato-like. She looks him over. "Are you ready? I'm going to tell him its ok to come in ."

"And how do we explain my presence?"

"You're my little helper of course." He bites back a retort and settles on a glare.

Two minutes later Duncan and his little girl are sitting on the same sofa that Veronica and he had just been occupying.

"What is he doing here? I thought he was dead."

"Sorry to disappoint."

Veronica butts in before he can say anything else, "short version, he took a bat to the head and is now a private eye, hired by your father to find you. And I have absolutely no idea what the long version is." She looks at him a beat too long and Lamb can sense that Duncan notices.

"Could you give us a minute?" Duncan asks looking at him, and the apartment is so small that in order to give them any privacy he has to leave.

"Sure, you two have a lot of catching up to do," and it doesn't come out as hard-ass as he wants it to, and Veronica is giving him a look. He motions to her to come to the kitchen and then leans in close, "I'm trusting you here Mars. If you fuck me over I won't forget it."

"Always such a charmer. I'll keep to what we discussed. Just don't tell Vinnie anything."

He nods at Duncan on his way out, closing the door gently behind him.  
+++++

Since the accident he's been a light sleeper, always alert in case someone should come and finish what Batando started, so he hears the knocking on his door immediately. He pulls on a t-shirt and looks through the window to see Veronica standing outside. He pulls up some jeans as well before answering the door.

"It's two in the morning. This had better be good."

"Duncan just left, I lost track of time."

Lamb tries to stamp down any non-professional feelings he has at that disclosure.

He motions for her to come in and she walks by him with her head low. She looks out of sorts and Lamb bites back the urge to ask her what's wrong.

"What did Duncan say? Is he going to play hardball with Jake?"

She doesn't answer and Lamb is annoyed that she is shutting him out. "We had a deal Mars. Full disclosure."

"He'll do what he has to do."

"Could you be more vague?"

"I'm not in the mood Lamb. I just needed to get out of that shitty apartment." He sees her looking around, the navy couch pushed up against the wall, the ridiculously plush rug beneath it, a couple of photos from Texas, all non-descript stuff which hopefully tells her nothing about him.

"How long have you been living here?"

"What are you doing here Mars? Is something wrong?" There. He said it. He expressed concern. Let's see whether the earth eats him up. He's bracing himself for some sort of bullshit from her but instead she leans back against the wall.

"I don't know what I'm doing. I always thought I knew , but I don't. I'm just making it up as I go along."

He's quiet but his mind is racing. They haven't discussed what happened between earlier and he's not sure if that is what she is insuinating at.

"That's all any of us do Mars."

But she continues as if she hasn't heard him, "it was so weird with Duncan tonight. It was like we were sixteen again and also totally not. Everything is so fucked up."

"Veronica, You're what? 24, 25? you don't need to have everything figured out. Shit happens."

"Shit happens? That's what you're going with?" she rolls her eyes,"I mean look at you. I don't even know who you are anymore."

"That makes two of us." He approaches her slowly.

"Why can't you just go back to being a jerk? Why are you helping me?"

"I have my reasons." He is right in front of her now and he looks down at her, holding her gaze, making his intent clear.

"I don't want to want you." she whispers and he kisses her before she can finish that thought. They shed their clothes with ease and stumble to the bedroom. This time its him that pulls her down on the bed, and her tongue in his mouth is driving him crazy. When they are both naked, he looks up at her, "are we really doing this Mars?"

"Only if you call me Veronica."

"Veronica," he says and flips her over, kissing all the way down her stomach. "So what do you call me Veronica?"

"You don't like Deputy?" she says in a breathless voice as his hands make their way further down.

"Try Don."

"You're good at this. Don."

And when she comes he thinks its the most beautiful thing he has ever seen.

His phone rings waking him up. It's 6 am and its an unknown number. It's Lizzie, telling him she spoke to her father and he doesn't care who she tells as no-one will believe her. She says he can't do it. Lamb ends the call as politely as he can and then throws the phone on the floor.

"Who was that?" Veronica is naked, leaning on her elbow looking up at him.

"It was Lizzie. She's not going to talk."

Veronica leans back down on the bed and closes her eyes with what looks like relief. Before he can ask any questions he hears banging on his door and only one person bangs like that.

"It's Vinnie. Stay in here, I'll get rid of him."

He pulls on some clothes and throws Veronica's discarded shirt and jeans in a kitchen drawer.

Vinnie walks in like he owns the place and Lamb resists the ever-present urge to punch him in the face. Of course he immediately spots a lone shirt sleeve sticking out of the drawer and lifts it out.

"Have some company? So sorry to interrupt. Anyone I know?"

"I don't sleep with hookers so probably not."

Vinnie ignores him and heads towards the bedroom.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?" Lamb asks but Vinnie already has the door open and Veronica is standing there in one of Lamb's sweatshirts.

"My my my. As I live and breathe. And here I thought you hated each other. Well, its handy you're here actually Veronica since I wanted to have a word."

"Vinnie. Get the fuck out of here. I'll call you later."

"Not so fast Donald. I think Veronica might be able to shed some light on some mysterious happenings. Like Jake Kane being arrested in the early hours of the morning, and Duncan Kane missing again but with 3 million dollars this time." He turns to look at Lamb, "At least she didn't smuggle him out in your trunk this time, but smuggle him out she did."

Lamb feels his blood run cold.

Vinnie of course continues, "let me guess. She came over here in the wee small hours of the morning, distracted you and now that her work is done, will be on her merry way."

"Get out." Lamb says, finally finding his voice.

"Which one of us are you talking to?" Vinnie asks.

"You." he says manhandling Vinnie out of the door, but Vinnie drags him outside and says in a low voice, "as you can imagine, our client is not so thrilled about being arrested, so he's fired us. Which in turn means I get to fire you. Have a nice life Donald."

When he gets back inside Veronica is dressed.

"It's not what you think."

"You don't know what I think. And in any case, its exactly like I think."

"Lamb." she says but he stops her before she can continue.

"I'm not mad. It's what you do. And its my fault for not seeing it."

"I didn't come here to distract you. I came with the intention of telling you what was going to happen. And I definitely didn't plan on sleeping with you."

"That I can believe." he says. He tries to keep his tone even, because he means it when he says he's not mad. Even though he's furious at himself he's not at her. He should know her by now.

"Look, I couldn't put everything on Lizzie talking. It was too risky. There were too many factors that were out of my control."

"How did you get Jake arrested?"

She walks to the sofa and sits down but he stays standing.

"I have some stuff on him from some time ago. I had promised not to use it but shit happens right?"

"And Duncan?"

"Getting the money was easy, its amazing the technological leaps that the hacking industry has taken in the last few years."

"And where is Duncan now?"

She's silent and he doesn't push the issue. In truth he doesn't really care.

"So you and Duncan came up with this?"

"I had been thinking about it for a while, but after we spoke to Lizzie I knew."

It's his turn to be silent now. He walks over to the couch and sits beside her.

"You could have told me you know. I would have helped you."

"I can't trust you. I learned that the hard way."

He sighs but doesn't say anything. Of course since meeting her again he's thought of a hundred different ways to apologise for what happened between them. The problem is that all of them sound trite and rehearsed. He's not good with words and they don't do sincerity, only sarcasm.

"So things are fucked up are they?"

"What?"

"Last night, you said that everything is fucked up."

She looks at him and seems to consider how much she wants to say.

"The FBI, it was just one big disappointment. I didn't fit there. But I don't fit here either. And with Duncan coming back... I mean this guy is on the run with a toddler but he still seems to have his life together better than me. I don't know why I am telling you this."

"Look Mars, I don't know who the fuck I am half the time. I think of that guy before Batando and I barely recognise him. He seems like a superficial asshole. But now, I have no idea who this guy is either. I'm pretty sure I'm still an asshole," she smiles at that, "but maybe I'm a more discriminating type of asshole. You may never fit anywhere, and maybe that's the price you pay for being who you are."

"Great, just what everyone wants to hear."

"I meant it as a compliment."

"Of course you did." she says but she is getting up and Lamb doesn't want her to leave but makes no move to stop her. She picks up her bag and makes her way to the door. Lamb watches her and imagines she is someone else. A beautiful blonde he picked up last night after a flirtatious conversation, who charmed in spite of herself comes back home with him. Someone who he would call in a couple of days and ask out again. But that's all bullshit because she is Veronica Mars, perpetual pain in his ass, and nothing is ever easy with her, and he wouldn't want it any other way.

"I'm leaving for Santa Monica tomorrow, I'm going to spend a few weeks with my dad."

"Say hello from me."

"I'll be sure not to," she says turning to face him at the door. He is still sitting on the couch but his eyes hold her gaze.

"Take care of yourself Veronica."

"You too Don."

She closes the door quietly behind her.


End file.
